Wikimedia Commons
Quillajaceae
Soapbark Flower
Quillaja saponaria
Cleansing and purity.
- Family
- Quillajaceae
- Genus
- Quillaja
- Native to
- Chile
- Bloom season
- Spring
- Type
- evergreen tree
- Height
- 40-60 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- well-drained, adaptable
- Water
- low
- Hardiness
- 8-10
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- The bark contains saponins that create a natural lather and has been used as soap by the Mapuche people for centuries.
- Quillaja saponins are a key ingredient in the adjuvant QS-21, used in several modern vaccines including shingles and malaria vaccines.
- The small white flowers are important nectar sources for Chilean honeybees, producing a distinctive honey.
- It is one of the few trees native to Chile's dry central Mediterranean zone that remains evergreen year-round.
- Saponin extract from this tree is also used as a natural foaming agent in beverages, including root beer and some craft beers.
Color meanings
0
cleansing
1
purity
2
usefulness